Posts
Technology
“Activating Smithsonian Open Access” Proposes New Models for Interacting with Museum Collections
By
In February 2021, Cooper Hewitt’s Interaction Lab launched an open call for proposals for inspiring digital interactions with Smithsonian Open Access collections for people all over the …
Finding Wonder in a Virtual World
By
Envision a group of schoolchildren standing before you, giddy with anticipation and excitement. In front of them are two elongated rectangular wooden doors, which, once opened, will …
Adapting to a Hybrid Reality: Accelerating a Digital Methodology and Mindset at Your Institution
Physical closures and capacity reductions due to COVID-19 forced museums and galleries to find new ways to showcase content and programming to a greater audience, accelerating the shift …
Meet Patrice, the Spy Museum robot who is opening a secret world to hospitalized kids
Patrice is a small, sleek robot that is opening up the International Spy Museum to hospitalized children and young adults who can’t physically get to the building. This has proved to be …
Pivoting to Virtual Field Trips and Education Programs: Advice from The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
By
At The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, our mission is to teach history in order to impact behaviors today. With students in particular, we want them to encounter the history of …
Inviting Engagement: Front-of-House Workers Become Online Content Creators
After announcing our free admission initiative in January 2020, MOCA’s lobby was a bustling hive of activity. Visitor engagement staff welcomed attendees by scanning their tickets and …
Thriving as a Virtual Museum: The National Museum of American Jewish History’s Playbook
By
Like many museums, the National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH)’s doors have remained closed to the public since March 2020. Our physical doors, that is. Our museum is very much …
How to Procure Digital Services with Accessibility in Mind
As you commission a website, mobile app, experiential multimedia piece, or other digital interactive, it is critical to incorporate accessibility and inclusive design considerations …
Evaluating the Impact of Augmented and Virtual Reality
“I am perfectly astonished at the effect.” “The thrilling scenes therein depicted are beyond description.” “It is true and really wonderful.” These are reactions from visitors to the …
The Rijksmuseum Had Its Lowest Attendance Last Year Since 1964. But Its Digital Audience Has Grown by Leaps and Bounds
Amsterdam's famed Rijksmuseum, which was closed for much of last year, had its lowest attendance in decades in 2020. At the same time, the museum experienced a 23 percent increase in the …
10 Best Practices of Accessible Museum Websites
This article explores ten high-impact areas you should consider to enhance your website’s accessibility and bring it into conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), …
For Post-Pandemic Success, Get Creative with Distributed Museum Models
By
As the global pandemic has put a halt to in-person visitation for much of 2020 and brought long-held planning and operational models into question, museum leaders across the country have …
Latest Stories from AAM
A Q&A with Dirk Hiscock, Designer of This Year’s Winner for Excellence in Publication Design
By
Category:
Alliance Blog
After reviewing hundreds of entries every year, the jury for AAM’s annual Museum Publications Design Competition awards only one publication with the Frances Smyth-Ravenel Prize for …
Pushing the Boundaries
Category:
Museum Magazine
The Whitney Plantation Museum confronts the truth of its history in all facets of its …
Beyond the Museum Walls
Category:
Museum Magazine
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2021 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of AAM membership. The Queens Museum serves as a community anchor by embracing porosity, …